Waffles and Attitude
by Kurrent
Summary: A pleasant morning at the Xavier School is interrupted by an unexpected guest, who has a surprising agenda. [Kitty/Illyana]. Rated M for language and brief sexual content.


**Author's Note:** This is a Kitty/Illyana oneshot that takes place in-between chapters 1 and 2 of my story "How Kitty Pryde Saved Illyana Rasputin's Soul (or Was It the Other Way Around?)". As such, they're engaged but not married yet during this story. Got this idea in my head and couldn't get it out.

Please make careful note of the rating of this story. There's a reason for it. I was NOT planning on the end of this turning out as explicit as it did. Sometimes stories surprise even those writing them.

Music for this chapter was a bit... difficult. I really, really wanted to use some lyrics from a fantastic song called "Once in a While" from a (sadly) obscure band from the early and mid-'90s called **Ajax**. The song (and everything on their little EP _Aphrodite_ ) is amazing, but it's almost impossible to find the music online, and since some of my long-time readers like to listen to the intro music before or as they read a chapter, it wouldn't have been very fair to use a selection that most people wouldn't have been able to find. As such, I had to find a different choice for intro music.

 _I do not own the X-Men comics/movies and I make no claims upon it or its characters. All these characters are used under the concept of Fair Use, and I make no profit or income from using any of them._

 **Waffles and Attitude**

by Jo K.

 _Come just as you are to me_

 _Don't need apologies_

 _Know that you are worthy_

 _I'll take your bad days with your good_

 _Walk through the storm I would_

 _I do it all because I love you_

-Katy Perry, "Unconditionally"

—O—

—O—

Early mornings were one of Kitty Pryde's—soon to be Kitty _Rasputin's_ —favorite moments.

Before the hustle and bustle of the school kicked into high gear, when the sun was just beginning to gleam its way above the horizon, Kitty found the silence in the air, the promise of the new day, to be profound in its clean, simple way.

Her hair was a mess. She was wearing one of Illyana's concert shirts—one of the few that the blonde hadn't cut off just below the level of her breasts—that barely came to mid-thigh. Not a drop of makeup had been applied to her face. She didn't care. The kitchen in this section of the Xavier School was for faculty and staff only, so she didn't have to worry about any students seeing her in this uncharacteristically disheveled state. Yana was still asleep after a rather vigorous night of fun, and just the barest thought about what they had been up to in their bed—THEIR bed—a few hours ago made Kitty smile and blush simultaneously.

One of the fringe benefits of loving a teleporter with Illyana's range was that dining and shopping options were essentially wide-open. Yesterday had marked the three-month anniversary of them resuming their romantic relationship, and they had celebrated the occasion with dinner at Kitty's favorite restaurant in Osaka. They had feasted on freshly grilled tuna and scallops, where Kitty had playfully teased Illyana about her never-ending lack of skill with chopsticks. They had then popped over to Tokyo for dessert before ending the trip shopping at the famous (or infamous) M's in Akihibara, where they had made a few purchases they had proceeded to put to use late into the night.

Kitty hummed happily, no particular tune, just stringing notes together cheerfully as she turned on the waffle maker to let it heat up. It was a good thing today was an off-day for their workouts. Kitty's thighs were aching in a delightful way, and she smiled wickedly as she imagined Yana was _significantly_ more sore, albeit in a different area or two.

God, it had been a good night.

Sex had always been one of the best parts of their relationship, and that was saying something. From that very first kiss, to the first time they had touched each other beneath the covers of their shared bed to the first time they had made love atop the bed without shame or embarrassment, there had a been a natural ease and comfort between them that never went away. Illyana had always made Kitty feel beautiful, feel special, feel loved and respected and honored, no matter what they had talked about or done with each other, and that had been the most amazing gift anyone could have given a girl crossing into the mysterious peaks and valleys of womanhood who was struggling with her body, with her religion, with her mutant nature, with her place in the world and with her sexuality.

And despite Illyana's demonic upbringing and her fearsome (and well-earned) reputation, the blonde Russian was incredibly gentle and loving in bed. She had given Kitty a safe space that no one else had ever come to close to matching. And Kitty had repaid that love and acceptance with all the adoration and patience in her heart.

Now they were back together, and it felt like all was right with the world. And even after three months, Kitty still felt like she was walking on air.

Well, she _could_ walk on air. That was a thing. But the way the Russian woman made her heart leap and soar, it surpassed every sensation Kitty could have experienced on her own.

With the waffle maker plugged in and heating up, Kitty moved to the refrigerator, dancing quietly in place as she retrieved the milk. The waffle batter mix came next from the nearby cabinet, and with the efficiency that came from practice, Kitty quickly had the batter mixed, careful to use a whisk instead of a mixer to keep from possibly waking anyone else.

Without warning, a delicate chill slid down the back of Kitty's neck. It could have been the air conditioner, or perhaps just a misfiring nerve ending, but Kitty was an X-Man, and that meant always remembering that anything out of the ordinary _might_ be trying to kill you.

She phased as she spun around, hanging onto the mixing bowl in case she needed to use it as a makeshift weapon.

When she saw who was sitting at the kitchen table, she very nearly threw the bowl full of batter at the smug blonde occupying one of the wooden chairs.

"Hello, Katherine," Emma Frost said smugly. "I see your psychic shields have been upgraded. I debated tearing my way through them, but I decided to try the polite r—"

A brilliant gleam of blue-white light in the form of a circular disc manifesting between the two women cut off Frost's words, and the gibbering red imp that came flying out of the descending circle, hurtling directly toward the seated blonde, forestalled any other conversation. The blonde shifted into her diamond form right before the creature struck her in the face, latched itself onto her head and started savagely (and futilely) gnawing at her now-crystalline eyes and nose.

Emma plucked the wriggling demon off her face as she slid the chair back and stood, only to be knocked backward against the wall of the kitchen by the furious blonde now standing between her and Kitty as the glowing stepping circle faded away. Emma tried to pull her arms and her body away from the wall, but her wrists and her waist were held in place by glowing red bands that writhed and shimmered.

"Are you alright, Katya?" Illyana Rasputin said over her shoulder, not taking her eyes off Frost, her former teammate, as the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak held the older woman in place.

"Yeah," Kitty said as she stepped up behind her lover, shifting the bowl full of waffle batter to her left arm so she could wrap her right arm around Illyana's waist. "Yana..." she said, grinning as she looked down at what her fiancee was wearing. "That... doesn't exactly fit you..."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, with an intruder sitting in their kitchen, having somehow bypassed all their security systems, Illyana felt herself smile foolishly. "I was pressed for time, beloved," she replied. "I simply grabbed what was nearest at hand when I felt your concern."

The My Little Pony bralette and sleep shorts had been in Kitty's possession for years, worn into a gentle, comforting softness after years of use. She had laid them out last night before they went to bed, but she wound up not needing (or wanting) to wear them. Meant for Kitty's petite frame and A/B-cup chest, the bralette was a bit tight on Illyana's B/C-cup breasts and her more athletic chest and shoulders, but the tightness of the minimal top wasn't anything Kitty was going to complain about.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Illyana," Emma hissed, the unmistakable tone of disappointment dripping from her words. "Still slumming with children?"

Illyana's eyes began to glow red as she threw herself forward, only an inch away from Emma Frost's glittering diamond face. The fingernails on Illyana's right hand stretched forward and tapered into silvery talons several inches long, which Illyana then positioned around Emma's crystal neck. The tips of the magical claws bit ever-so-slightly into the diamond skin with just a hint of pressure on the Russian's part, a disturbing sensation to the White Queen.

"Unfortunately for you," Illyana growled, "diamond is _not_ the hardest substance in the multiverse. Would you like me to demonstrate that for you?" Her fingers began to close around Emma's diamond throat, with tiny cracks beginning to form as the razor tips sank another millimeter into the taller blonde's neck.

"Yana, baby," Kitty said, her voice carefully pitched to be soothing and calming. "In fairness, she hasn't tried to hurt me. She tried to read my thoughts, but she couldn't get through."

The two soulmates (literally, in their case) exchanged feelings and sensations over their soulbond in less than a second: Kitty sending pulses of curiosity regarding Frost and a feeling of comfort and safety with Illyana, while Illyana made it clear that—

Kitty breaking out into laughter caused Emma's crystalline countenance to frown in a quizzical expression. Even Illyana couldn't keep the faint smile off her face as her talons shrunk back into her regular fingernails before she pulled her hand away from Frost's throat.

After a moment of hesitation, Emma's skin returned to its normal flesh, tiny pinpricks of red on her throat and her expression still haughty but tinged with confusion. "What was so funny?" she asked. It was quite vexing to be laughed at, and she wasn't going to tolerate it from these two naïve brats.

"She doesn't trust you," Kitty said, grinning. "And she doesn't want to have to clean up the mess that's going to be made if you try anything with me." The smile evaporated off Kitty's face as she stepped forward, moving into Emma's personal space as Illyana's left arm possessively slid around Kitty's slim waist. "Because, if you _do_ try anything mean while you're here, she's going to make a very ugly example of you."

Emma's lips curving into one of her arrogant smiles wasn't exactly the reaction Kitty had been expecting. "And _that_ is exactly why you don't belong here, Illyana," Emma said.

"I belong where Katya is," Illyana replied firmly. "Nothing will change that."

Despite all the assurances of the last three months, of their engagement, of their souls reconnecting and growing more tightly bound than ever before, it still made Kitty's heart pound with love and pride to hear her lover say romantic things like that. She didn't bother to hide the confident smirk that stretched across her lips.

Emma sighed dramatically. "Oh, my dear Illyana," she said, drawing out each word for maximum effect as she sat back down at the table. Only a bit of her coffee had spilled onto the table, which she noted with a glance of disdain before she picked up her mug and took another small sip of the still-hot bitter liquid. "You're meant for so much more than grading papers and playing house in a foolish relationship that will _never_ last."

"Because _you're_ the expert on healthy romantic relationships?" Kitty shot back, her words more biting than she had expected. "Humor was never your strong suit, Emma."

"Leave the discussion to the grown-ups, child," Emma said dismissively, about to turn back to Illyana when a splash of hot liquid on her right hand made her hiss reflexively. She looked down at her coffee mug to find the black liquid _boiling_ inside the cup.

She looked up to find a furious blonde, eyes still glowing red, leaning over her, anger radiating off her like heat from a blast furnace.

"Insult my woman again, Frost, and I'll teleport you into a black hole in the middle of the Antares Nebula," Illyana said slowly.

Illyana felt a not-too-gentle brush against the fortress-like walls of her mind, and she smiled evilly at Emma's nervous attempt to regain control of the situation. Illyana's mind had been impregnable to Charles Xavier, and Emma was far from his level of power. "Now..." Illyana said, confident that the insults were about to stop. "Apologize to my fiancee. Politely."

Emma glared at Illyana for several seconds before she shifted her eyes to Kitty. "I apologize for referring to you as a child, Katherine," she said calmly.

"Thank you," Kitty said, heart still pitter-pattering with girlish elation at Yana so possessively referring to her as 'her woman'. "I accept your apology." Kitty turned to Illyana and kissed the blonde on the lips, looking deeply into Illyana's glowing red eyes with the same love she'd have shown the Russian woman's usual blue ones. Playfully Kitty lightly patted Illyana's firm rear, startling slightly when her lover actually gasped.

 _Oh, shoot_ , Kitty thought sheepishly through the empathic link they were still exploring. _Sorry, love. Forgot your butt was still sore._ They were getting better at reading and transmitting thoughts through the link.

 _No apologies, my dearest,_ Illyana thought back, a knowing smirk on her face. _It was my pleasure, I assure you._

Now it was Kitty's turn to blush slightly, which she covered behind her bushy hair as she turned around and walked back over to the counter and the waffle maker, giving the batter another stir for good measure.

"So why are you here, Frost?" Illyana said, her red eyes shifting back to their normal human icy blue.

"To free you from all this dreariness and babysitting, Illyana, of course," Emma replied, as if everyone should immediately know what she was saying. "It's so far beneath you."

 _You were beneath me last night,_ came an amused feeling from Kitty, deep in Illyana's mind, which triggered an amused sensation in reply.

"Scott had such high hopes for you, dear," Emma continued. "From the moment the two of us saw what you could do with your full potential, when you held part of the Phoenix Force, we both knew you were destined for more than wiping noses and grading papers."

Illyana's curiosity was quite real, something Kitty could easily feel through their empathic link, but she also knew that Illyana wasn't going to leave her or the school. Illyana loved Kitty, absolutely, but she also loved the students, too. Illyana had lost everything more than once. Nothing would pull her away from those she cared about.

The batter hissed as Kitty poured it into the waffle maker, closing the top and flipping the device over to start it cooking. She tried to listen to the conversation between the two blondes at the table without being too obvious, until another body walked quietly into the kitchen.

Mindee Cuckoo, her short dark hair somewhat mussed, made her way over to the coffee machine, with her sisters Celeste and Phoebe trailing behind her, each of them wearing a different colored night shirt and shorts. She met Kitty's neutral expression. "Miss Frost's mind isn't as quiet as she likes to think it is," Mindee said calmly, picking up the coffee pot and pouring it into a line of three mugs Celeste had set up on the counter. "Especially on our wavelength."

"It's still weird not hearing you telepathically, Headmaster, " Phoebe said with just a hint of annoyance as she retrieved the creamer out of the refrigerator, giving Kitty a quick glance as she stood up and closed the door.

Kitty smiled as the waffle machine counted down; she turned it upright before the timer could emit its usual loud beep. Illyana boosting Kitty's psi-shields by mystically linking their soulbond to their mental connection had irritated the Cuckoos significantly, which Kitty suspected the Russian regarded as more of a fringe benefit than a side effect. "I'm sure you'll adjust, ladies," Kitty said as she carefully picked the large waffle off the griddle, dropping it onto a plate. She sprayed the hot griddle with cooking spray, then poured more batter into the device, locked and flipped it again. Satisfied that her waffle was cooking, she gathered the syrup, silverware and plate holding the first waffle; with a happy smile, she carried everything over to the table, placing it in front of Illyana.

The clatter interrupted what appeared to be an impressive glaring contest between Emma and Illyana; the Russian glanced down momentarily before a smile spread across her face. "Thank you, beloved," Illyana said happily.

"You're welcome, beautiful," Kitty said, kissing the top of the blonde's head before she twirled and lightly walked back to the waffle maker.

The exchange had been carefully watched by all three of the Cuckoos, all of whom kept their eyes on Illyana for a brief second before shifting simultaneously to watch their school's Headmaster practically saunter across the kitchen. The brief telepathic discussion between the three sisters resulted in a two to a one split, with Phoebe psychically rolling her eyes and Celeste and Mindee thinking it was cute seeing two of the senior X-Men acting lovestruck.

"You can stop the little charade any time, Illyana," Emma said drolly, taking a sip of her coffee. "Oh, Katherine, you didn't ask me if I wanted anything for breakfast."

Kitty turned to look over her shoulder. "No, I didn't," she replied flatly before returning her attention to the timer on the waffle maker.

"Your hospitality toward guests seems to be lacking these days," Emma said.

Illyana swallowed the bite of warm waffle and syrup before saying, "Guests tend to be invited rather than sneak in early in the morning."

A gasp from one of the Cuckoos made both Illyana and Emma turn to look at the three young women, all of whom were visibly staring at what Illyana was wearing.

"Oh," said Celeste.

"My," Mindee said next.

"God," Phoebe finished, as the three of them stood there, holding their coffee mugs out in front of them.

" _What_ are you wearing, Professor Rasputin?" Celeste asked.

Illyana turned her head to look at the nearest Cuckoo, which happened to be Phoebe. "If you find my choice of clothing so interesting, I'm sure I could stuff all three of you into it," the Russian said threateningly.

"There's really..." started Celeste.

"No need to be..." continued Phoebe.

"Rude about it," finished Mindee, as the three of them each pulled out a chair along the table where Emma and Illyana sat.

"Girls," Emma said with a sigh. "Isn't there some other place you could sit?"

The three of them all nodded in sync, sporting the same smug grin. "Of course," they said in unison before they each lifted their coffee mugs to their lips, keeping their gazes firmly directed at Emma and Illyana.

Emma looked back at Illyana, who appeared quite smug as she speared another bite of waffle.

"They were cloned from _you_ ," Illyana pointed out before she placed the sticky-sweet bite in her mouth.

Kitty placed her plate full of waffle and syrup on the table beside Illyana, then she took her seat next to her lover. "Yeah, can't argue that one, Emma."

"We can't help how we were made," Mindee said with the slightest hint of a huff in her tone.

"None of us can," Kitty said as she began cutting her own waffle into pieces. "But we _can_ help how we act. Eavesdropping, for instance."

"We get bored easily," said Celeste with a soft sigh. "And listening into conversations without using our telepathy is good practice for gathering intelligence."

"No, you're just nosy," said Illyana. "Nothing wrong with the truth."

Mindee and Phoebe both scowled, only to jump slightly when Celeste laughed sharply. Seeing her two sisters turn their annoying gazes at her, Celeste shrugged. "What? She's right. We _are_ just nosy."

"Girls, girls," Emma said sadly. "I had such high hopes for you. Instead, you've become the three telepathic stooges for this reform school. Sophie and Esme would be SO disappointed."

Even before the three Cuckoos had finished angrily rising to their feet, Kitty had her left hand held out in front of them. "GIRLS," she said forcefully, the tone of command in her voice clear despite not raising her voice. "DO NOT wreck this kitchen." She turned to look at the blonde, brunette and redhead, all of whom had boiling fury in their glowing eyes, all of which were directed squarely at Emma Frost.

Kitty sighed and placed her fork down on her plate. "You're already on thin ice, Emma," she directed at Frost. "Being your usual bitchy self is not advised right now."

"Oh?" Emma replied with a lift of her left eyebrow. "I thought your touching little love story was so strong that it had washed away all the negative thoughts and hostility trapped here."

Ignoring Emma for the moment, Kitty turned to look at the Cuckoos, all of whom were holding their ground, faces still twisted into grimaces of rage. She then turned to look behind her.

All of the silverware, knives and kabob skewers hovered in the air in front of the drawers and cabinets, all of which had been telekinetically opened. Kitty looked over all of the utensils pointed at Emma, doing a brief double-take at the sight of an ice cream scoop among the more lethal items. Deciding not to mention it, she returned her attention to the Cuckoos.

"She's trying to goad you," Kitty said, trying not to sigh. "She still knows how to push your buttons, and she's just trying to remind you of that. If you want to get back at her, don't play her little games." She paused for a few seconds before adding, "And if you mess up this kitchen, you'll be cleaning it without any powers for the next month."

Kitty took another bite of her deliciously warm waffle as she heard the distinct sounds of cutlery and kitchen utensils scraping as they returned to their proper cabinets and drawers. As she finished chewing her current bite and swallowed, she looked at the three sisters. "Thank you," she said politely. "If the three of you would be kind enough to make sure we have some privacy for the next few minutes, you can stay."

Illyana gave Kitty a slightly exasperated look, which made Kitty grin weakly. She knew that Yana and the Cuckoos didn't have the best relationship, but should things get ugly, the three girls would most definitely be on their side, not Emma's. And they were going to snoop anyway. Might as well let them get the full picture.

"Tell me, Katherine," Emma said, placing her mostly-empty coffee mug on the table again. "Do you enjoy sleeping with a unsheathed knife in your bed?"

Kitty blinked for a few seconds before she felt Illyana's anger roll through their soul bond. "Are you talking about _Yana?"_ she asked, disbelieving.

The look of utter condescension Frost shot her made the hair on the back of Kitty's stand. "Of course I'm talking about Illyana, Katherine. Don't be _insipid_."

In the blink of an eye, Illyana physically smacked Emma's coffee cup to the side, sending it flying off the table and smashing onto the tile floor, coffee spraying across the floor. The motion was so fast and so unexpected that Emma's eyes visibly widened with shock as she briefly flickered into her diamond form for a split second before returning to human.

"You're cleaning that up later," Kitty said to her fiancee.

"Gladly," Illyana replied sharply, her eyes glaring furiously at Emma. "That's strike two, Frost," she said coldly. "I do not understand baseball entirely, but I know that three strikes means you're _out_."

Emma's visage was coolly detached once more as she pointedly turned away from Illyana and toward Kitty again. "You see my point, I trust," the blonde said.

Now it was Illyana's turn to be surprised when Emma turned to look at _her_ , with her surprise doubling when Emma's face actually shifted to present something like concern.

"Illyana, you are meant for so much more than... this," she said, gesturing around her with her right hand. "You possess _vast_ power. You can dance through time and space, wield sorcery, conjure and command demons. You've held the _Phoenix Force_ , for heaven's sake, and not only survived the experience, but you showed skill and vision with what you accomplished during that time."

Emma smiled, and she made no attempt to conceal the ambition in that expression. "You're immune to telepaths. You control an entire dimension of creatures that would kill or die for you. You straddle the lines between science and magic, between hero and villain, between good and evil. You could accomplish anything, should you possess the desire and the determination.

"You're a nuclear weapon, my dear, to put it crudely. And nuclear weapons are meant to be used for _war_... not for peace."

Emma looked at Kitty. "I have no doubt that she loves you, Katherine, in whatever way Illyana remains capable of 'loving' anything. But you're squandering her potential by keeping her here. She deserves so much _more_. She's meant to accomplish _so_ _much more_." Emma sighed. "If you truly love her, then you should let her go fulfill her true potential."

Kitty was dumbfounded by what Emma was saying. She simply gaped at Emma, who then turned back to Illyana, leaving Kitty speechless.

"Illyana, you're... damaged, to put it bluntly. I do hate reminding you of what you're already well aware, my dear, but I think you've managed to fool yourself into thinking that you could have a happy little home here with your first teenaged crush."

Emma looked at the mess on the kitchen floor, coffee sprayed across the ground, seeping into the grout between tiles, shattered bits of ceramic scattered between them and the wall. "Illyana, you're never going to be able to provide the emotional stability or love that a partner will need," Emma said, and shockingly without a hint of snark or condescension. "It's not your fault, it's just the simple truth. Your purpose is in being mutantkind's ultimate weapon, both the threat and the promise of destruction should we be threatened or attacked. It's a role you fulfill incredibly well. Scott recognized it very early on, and once he allowed you to exert your full powers without restraint, you flourished like never before."

Illyana's eyes locked onto the grain of the table's wooden surface. "You think I'm... incapable of love," she said numbly.

"Love as other people feel it, yes," Emma said. "The suffering you went through at such a young age, the very tempering which made you as strong and powerful as you are today, has—"

"You're full of shit, Emma."

The kitchen grew quiet as Kitty's sharp words hung in the air. Kitty's hand moved to clasp Illyana's, squeezing it lovingly while the brunette flooded the connection between their souls with all the love and adoration she felt for Illyana.

"How dare you sit there and try to tell my fiancee that she's incapable of having a healthy relationship," Kitty hissed out, her voice low and dangerous. "How. _DARE_. You!"

"Katherine, you're playing with a fire that will not only burn you, it will consume—"

"Oh, so now you're worried about _my_ safety?" Kitty shot back. "About _my_ emotional well-being?!"

Emma nodded. "As hard as it may be for you to believe, yes. You haven't been around Illyana for years. She's not the same little teenage girl you knew a decade ago."

"None of us are the same as we were a decade ago," Kitty replied firmly. "It's called growing up, Emma. You might want to try it sometime. The results could surprise you."

"What if your precious Illyana accidentally teleports you to Limbo one night, during the throes of passion?" Emma said, eyes narrowing, lips drawing tight as she leaned forward, meeting Kitty's challenging gaze. "Or while you're both asleep?" She smiled cruelly. "How long do you think it would take the demons in her realm to strip the flesh and muscle from your bones, hm?"

The look on Kitty's face as she sat back in her seat was unreadable. Until it shifted into a snicker, then full-blown laughter. Kitty slapped the table with her left hand in a giddy delight, bending forward at the waist as she was swept away in her laughter until her long hair nearly fell into the syrup coating her waffle. Illyana smoothly pulled Kitty's plate to the side as she herself seemed to be fighting back a smile of her own; she slid both her plate and Kitty's to her left, in the direction of the Stepford Cuckoos, who appeared to be frozen in place.

Finally, after nearly a minute of hearty laughter, Kitty started to gain control of her emotions. "Oh, God, Emma," she said, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "Oh, Emma, Emma, Emma."

Eyes gleaming with moisture and bright with emotion, Kitty smiled as she met Emma's unsure gaze. "Emma, do you know how old we were the first time Illyana accidentally teleported us to Limbo when we were asleep?"

Without waiting for an answer from the haughty blonde, Kitty squeezed Yana's hand again. "I had just turned fourteen, and Yana was still thirteen. It was..." She turned to look at Illyana. "The week after my birthday?" Getting a silent nod from her lover, Kitty turned back to Emma. "Right, the week after my birthday. We had made love that night, like we did most nights, and we were both more tired than usual due to heavy training earlier in the day."

Kitty grabbed a lock of her hair with the fingers of her right hand, absent-mindedly twirling it as she talked. "So we woke up in Limbo," she said, a distinct smugness embedded in the smile she was now showing Emma. "And alllllll these demons were just sitting around us, watching us with this mixture of fascination and terror."

"Which sums up most of my teenage years, incidentally," Illyana said. "Except for you, of course, my Katya."

Kitty slid her eyes toward her lover. "Flirt," she whispered, getting a wink in return. "Anyway," she said, returning her attention to Emma, "it turned out we had been there for a few hours Limbo time, inside a protective pentagram Illyana had somehow manifested unconsciously."

"And what happens when that pentagram doesn't appear one day?" Emma said, leaning forward again.

Kitty leaned to facetiously mimic Emma's body language. "The pentagram wasn't protecting _us_ , Emma. It was protecting _Limbo_." She leaned back, then speared a bite of Illyana's waffle and syrup with her fork.

Illyana smirked visibly at the confusion on Emma's face, making no attempt to hide her amusement at the other blonde's condition. "Love is not an emotion natural to Limbo, Frost," the Russian said calmly. "It can confuse, even terrify demons, as they simply _cannot_ understand it. Were it not for my protective pentagram, the sheer force of such an alien feeling could have caused a panic, perhaps even a riot among the entire realm of Limbo."

Emma sat back up, obviously not believing what she was hearing. "You expect me to believe that two teenage girls LOVING each other was so dangerous that it could have threatened all of Limbo," she said sarcastically.

"Not that different from this world, if you ask me," Kitty replied, still chewing. "At least that's what some people'd have you believe."

"Over time, we managed to acclimate Limbo to the love between us. The demons still don't grasp it, but they accept that Katya and I have feelings and connections between the two of us that are beyond their scope of understanding, and they understand that we value and protect each other."

"We still teleport to Limbo sometimes in our sleep," Kitty said. "They have enough respect for and fear of their Queen—"

"And her mate," Illyana interjected.

"—To not mess with us, even when we're asleep. In fact, they stand guard around us until we wake up." Kitty grinned. "Limbo's another home to me now, Emma. You can't threaten me with it."

Kitty debated bringing up the times she and Illyana had made love in Limbo; each time it felt like a consecration of sorts, claiming Limbo as a little bit more of their own each time, burning away the horrors of the past and replacing those nightmares with happy thoughts and memories of each other. Whether it was in the citadel made of cold iron and bleached bone or on the dusty earth beneath the deep red sky, Kitty and Illyana had celebrated their love, their bond openly and without shame there long before they felt comfortable even admitting the truth depth of their relationship to others here on Earth.

Kitty's reminiscence was interrupted by Emma's scoffing laugh.

"You're such a Pollyanna," Emma sneered at Kitty.

"And you're such a conniving bitch," Kitty shot back.

"You're _never_ going to fix her!" Emma said, the volume of her voice rising.

Kitty looked confused for a moment. "Fix her?" she asked. "I'm not trying to 'fix' her, Emma. I'm LOVING her. And the fact that you don't know the difference between the two says _everything_ about you."

Kitty sat back in her chair, her thumb nervously tracing thoughtless patterns on the back of Yana's hand. Emma was never going to get it.

"You think I am broken."

The bleakness of Yana's voice made the hairs on the back of Kitty's neck stand up. She turned and opened her mouth to speak, only to be stopped when Illyana turned and looked at her, and in that look of adoration, that look of pure _love_ , she knew that Illyana was okay.

The Russian woman smiled at her lover, then she lifted their joined hands to her lips, pressing a soft kiss on the back of her Katya's knuckles, relishing the look of love she received in return from the brunette who still loved to wear Illyana's clothes even though the shirts were a bit too big, to say goofy things in silly voices to cheer Illyana up on bad days, to make sure Illyana's favorite television shows recorded correctly, to eat the vegetables Illyana didn't like and share the ones the Russian did.

Life was not about _deserving_ what one had. It was about _accepting_ what one had, and being appreciative and thankful for it.

Illyana met Emma Frost's cool gaze again. "You think I am broken, because of all I have suffered. And I have suffered, most assuredly. But it is people like you, Frost, who feel the need to constantly remind me of what I have lost, of what pain I have felt, of how I can never be whole after all I have experienced, that continue to remind me how hard my life has been."

Illyana looked at Kitty, who was watching her lover carefully. "This is..." Illyana said, only to stop when her voice broke. She saw tears form in Kitty's brown eyes, and quickly the Russian smiled at the woman she loved to reassure her. Illyana took an unsteady breath, then tried again. " _This_... is what tells me that I am NOT broken," the blonde said shakily. "This look of love, on the face of the kindest, sweetest, most thoughtful person I have ever known. It tells me that I am deserving of love, that I am capable of love. And then—"

Illyana had to stop again to control the tears threatening to overwhelm her prodigious emotional defenses. She felt Kitty squeeze her hand in support, than add her other hand to clasp Illyana's hand more securely. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth pulsing into her soul from her mate, holding it tightly inside her and drawing strength from it until she felt composed enough to speak once more.

"And then," Illyana carefully said, "Katya _gives_ me that love. She gives me love with words, with thoughts, with emotions, with touch, with intimacy. She speaks all the languages of love to me, and she makes me feel like I am the most important person in the universe." Illyana ignored the tears running down her own cheeks. "She makes me feel like I am the most LOVED person in the universe."

Illyana gently disengaged her right hand from between Kitty's, then she leaned forward and carefully took Kitty's head in her hands, gently pulling Kitty's head forward for the two of them to kiss, first chastely but then deepening as the emotions swirling between them caught wind like a vast sail, driving them forward.

Their lips finally parted with a soft wet noise, and Illyana's blue eyes stared intently into Kitty's rich brown gaze. For several seconds they remained that way, both smiling as each woman saw her future reflected back at her.

" _I love you with all I am_ ," Illyana said in Russian, her voice just over a whisper.

Kitty smiled back as she mentally translated the words. "You're all I ever wanted," she replied.

Illyana closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the warmth and comfort that came with Kitty's love, wrapping it securely around her like a well-loved blanket. She opened her eyes again, smiling as the first thing she saw was Kitty looking back at her, her brown eyes wet with tears of happiness.

When she felt Kitty's fingers grasping at her hand again, Illyana took Kitty's hand and held it, squeezing it once as they settled back into their familiar grip with each other. She then turned back to Emma.

"Even in Russian, I do not have words to adequately voice the love I feel for Katya or from Katya," Illyana said, looking at the bitter blonde staring back at her. "So instead I will show you."

A flick of the fingers of her left hand cast the spell broadcasting her thoughts through the kitchen, with the link between her and Kitty providing the sensation of feelings from both of them, not unlike surround sound but composed of emotions rather than audio.

" _I... feel complete," Illyana heard Kitty say as the two of them looked at each other over their dinner the previous night. "Now that we're together again."_

 _Illyana felt the joy and fulfillment fill her heart at that statement, because she knew exactly how that felt. "Yes," she said, unable to add more words but allowing her thoughts and feelings to flood through the link between their souls:_

 _HappyWarmJoyAcceptanceLoveComfortProtectionLoveFriendShareHopePeaceSafeLoveJoyLoveJoyLoveJoy_

 _The scene shifted to the two of them laughing and teasing each other while shopping at M's, a giddy mixture of amusement, embarrassment, playfulness, confidence and desire, all fueled by an ease with other and a sense of sharing, of making each other happy and excited. Of making each other fulfilled._

 _As Kitty held up one particular toy, a slim, curved glass rod, the brunette's left eyebrow lifted up in a look of suggestion that Illyana felt as much as saw. A surge of excitement mixed with confidence was her reply as Illyana heard herself say, "I'm up to try it if you are, Katya," as trust flowed through the bond between them._

" _You trust me?" Kitty asked playfully._

" _I trust you with my heart and my soul. Of course I trust you with my body, too."_

And the heat that flowed through the connection between them swept over all the women in the kitchen like a crashing wave, drowning them in desire, in comfort, in acceptance, in love.

Dimly Kitty heard one of the Cuckoos gasp as the powerful emotions overtook her. She smiled and enjoyed the replay of memories of the previous night, overjoyed at the chance to experience things from her lover's perspective this time.

 _The desire was crackling between Kitty and Illyana as Kitty phased one article of clothing after another off each of them, alternating bodies for each piece. All of the teenage insecurities they had once possessed were long swept away, purified by the crucibles of time and love. Illyana loved Kitty's small breasts, her slight build, her barely-controllable hair. Kitty loved Illyana's strong shoulders, her wide hands, her powerful legs. These features were no longer sources of concern or worry, as they had become loved and adored as distinguishing characteristics of the body each woman loved wholly._

 _There was no hesitation, no regret, no shame from either woman as they kissed, Illyana falling backward and pulling Kitty onto the bed on top of her. They allowed their hands to roam, to touch, to stroke, to grasp each other as they continued to kiss, Kitty lying atop Illyana in the way that comforted each of them. For Kitty, she relished having her Yana support her, treasure her, protect her and hold her up, bearing her weight proudly. For Illyana, it was feeling Kitty's body on top of her, feeling the mass that, though slight, was a constant reassurance that the woman she had always loved was truly with her, trusting Illyana to support her._

 _Then Kitty flipped them over, pulling Illyana down by her hips to situate the blonde's weight on top of her small frame. Illyana was still fairly small overall, and Kitty's fit frame easily handled her lover's body being on top of her. They kissed longer, as Kitty grabbed Illyana's rear, pulling their pelvises more tightly together, while Illyana's hands slid between them to caress and lightly tweak Kitty's breasts and nipples._

 _The heat between them blazed even hotter as they began to make love to each other, the minutes flashing past in a sweaty haze of desire, pleasure and sensual, primal worship of each other. When Illyana came first, the jolt of ecstasy was powerful enough to take away all conscious thought; when Kitty came next, there was no breathing for several intense seconds, no motion at all as everything clenched furiously for delicious seconds before a rush of release broke through the frozen moments._

Illyana swallowed as she briefly shifted her perceptions to the room around her. Everyone was still, each body quivering slightly as the memories and emotions from the previous night overwhelmed all the telepaths.

They wanted to know? Illyana smiled wickedly. Let them know.

 _Kitty pushed up, onto her knees as she looked down at the sweaty blonde lying before her. Illyana's eyes were still twitching as she came out of her latest orgasm; the Russian tended to climax fast and often, a fact that made Kitty feel incredibly proud as she took in the beautiful sight of her mate, her best friend panting in the bed they shared. Yana's abdomen rose and fell as she gasped for breath, which made Kitty grin._

" _Over," Kitty said, grabbing Illyana's hips and flipping her over, with some weak assistance from the blonde. She slipped her hands beneath Illyana at the waist, pulling the blonde backward onto her knees and lifting her pelvis and butt up into the air. "Don't move, sexy," Kitty said softly, placing a kiss on Illyana's right buttock before she crawled to the side of the bed, retrieving the glass dildo and bottle of lube they loved._

" _Katya," Illyana groaned weakly. "Katya,_ moya lyubov _..."_

" _I'm here, baby," Kitty replied, scooting back over until she was behind Illyana, straddling Illyana's right lower leg. She stopped and leaned back slightly, taking in the amazing sight of Illyana kneeling before her, fully exposed before her, unashamed and unafraid of whatever Kitty might choose to do to her in this position._

" _God, I love you," Kitty whispered; despite her voice being low, as soon as Illyana registered the words, her body shivered powerfully. For no one else, absolutely NO ONE, would Illyana do this. No one else would_ ever _be allowed to see her so vulnerable, so submissive, so open and willing not just sexually but emotionally._

 _But for Kitty? For her Katya?_

 _Illyana would do anything._

 _The jolt of cold as a few drops of the lube struck the skin of her lower back made Illyana shiver again._

" _Sorry, baby," Kitty cooed softly._

" _It's alright," Illyana sighed, shifting her head so her face was no longer buried in the sheet. "I like the suddenness of the cold."_

 _Kitty smiled. She knew. She had dripped it there on purpose._

 _Illyana breathed in as she tried to relax. "You can—" Her words shut off as she gasped when she felt Kitty's finger smoothly enter her from behind, though not where her lover was gently dripping the lube._

" _I know I can," Kitty said tenderly, wetly sliding her left middle finger in and out of her lover. This part of Illyana was still quite wet and needed no extra lubrication, despite her natural tightness. It was the rest of her Yana Kitty wanted to make sure was ready as she dripped more of the Just Like Me lube into the crease between Illyana's buttocks._

 _Illyana harshly gasped at the two competing sensations, Kitty's finger filling her, thrilling her, and the cold shiver of the lube making its way down her butt. She shivered as she felt it slide over her anus, knowing exactly what Kitty had in mind for her._

" _Just relax, babe," Kitty said softly, running her right hand through Illyana's blonde hair._

 _Illyana nodded, not sure if Kitty could see the motion. She did trust her, with everything. But it had been years since they had done anything like this, and she was nervous._

 _The warmth of Kitty's lips against the back of her neck soothed her fraying nerves; the sensation made up for the sudden loss of feeling Kitty inside her._

" _Remember to breathe, and relax," Kitty whispered into Illyana's ear, barely able to control her own anticipation._

 _Illyana swallowed against gravity and nodded again, getting a smile from Kitty that the blonde couldn't see. She shivered once more when she felt the tip of a finger gently caress her sphincter, carefully moving the lube around. She consciously relaxed, feeling the sphincter dilate slightly as she did so._

" _Good girl," Kitty said proudly as she slid just the tip of her little finger inside Illyana, the tightness gripping the small digit several times stronger than it would have been entering Illyana in their more usual manner. "Relax, relax," she whispered soothingly to the Russian woman, placing soft kisses in various places on Illyana's rear to distract her nervous lover._

 _When she felt the grip on her finger ease, Kitty carefully slid her little finger in deeper, smiling as she heard the soft gasp spill from Illyana's lips. "Only I get to touch you like this," Kitty said softly._

" _Only... you..." Illyana agreed breathlessly, trying to fight her internal reflexes and allow Kitty deeper._

" _And only you get to touch me like this," Kitty said, knowing their roles would be reversed tomorrow night and looking forward to it._

 _She had never allowed or even considered allowing anyone else to play with her anally; in fact, she would have been highly uncomfortable even_ discussing _the subject with anyone other than Illyana, but between the two of them, nothing was taboo, as they had already shared everything possible._

 _And God, it HAD turned Kitty on back then, just like it was doing now._

 _Leaving her little finger inside Yana, Kitty shifted her left hand to hold the glass toy, which they had been warming while they made love. She squirted more of the lube onto its end, making sure to "spill" a bit more on Yana's lower back in the process. The soft groaning from her lover was sweet music to Kitty's ears._

" _Do you like me in your ass, babe?" she asked Illyana softly._

" _Uh huh..." Illyana replied throatily, swaying her hips slightly and tugging Kitty's finger along with her as she did so. "Only you..."_

" _Only me," Kitty agreed, smiling. "Ready for more?" she asked, looking back down at her lover, only to stop short as she met Illyana's blue eyes, staring intensely back at her despite the uncomfortable-looking way her head was turned._

 _The sheer power in those eyes, fixed firmly on Kitty's own, took the brunette's breath away with the force of love, lust and devotion visible in them. Illyana would do ANYTHING for Kitty, according that wild look, and the all-consuming trust Illyana was showing her at that moment took Kitty's breath away and sent tears spilling from her eyes._

" _I'm ready," Illyana whispered hoarsely, never breaking eye contact with the woman she loved. "Ready for you."_

 _Kitty swallowed. She didn't think she deserved this level of complete, utter trust. She didn't think ANYONE deserved this level of trust. But Illyana was offering it to her freely, and Kitty would die before she ever betrayed that trust again._

 _She gently removed her little finger, then smoothly pressed the tapered end of the narrow toy into Illyana's ass, being careful to move slowly and tenderly as she heard her lover gasp at the full sensation sliding into her behind. "Good girl," Kitty said softly, watching as the toy slid slightly further in. She reached forward, fumbling a bit blindly until she found Illyana's hand, which quickly clutched around Kitty's fingers. Kitty squeezed Illyana's hand in support, then she placed a line of soft kisses on Illyana's right buttock as she slid the glass rod a bit deeper._

 _She had learned many years ago that Illyana did NOT like sex rough. The first (and only) time Kitty had tried to spank Illyana while they were having sex, the fifteen-year-old blonde had nearly torn the covers off the bed in her haste to get away from the sudden pain. The result had been both of them lying on the floor, tangled in their sheets, sobbing together while they held each other tightly for nearly thirty minutes, Illyana overwhelmed with horrific memories of beatings, Kitty out of guilt for inadvertently hurting the girl she loved. So Kitty was always sure to be gentle, to be careful, to be patient and easy when she and Yana were making love, and Illyana always did the same with her._

 _Illyana felt her eyes roll behind closed lids as she felt the toy inside her rear shift slightly and Kitty release the grip on her hand. She was already teetering on the brink of another orgasm, made even more precipitous by the knowledge of what was likely coming next._

 _When she felt one of Kitty's fingers slide into her vaginally as well, the result was immediate. The blonde's entire body tightened up in spasms of pleasure, making the fullness in her rear burn even more as she shook for several seconds, swept away in her orgasm._

 _But Kitty refused to give her any relief, immediately starting to work the glass toy in her ass in and out gently while doing the same with her finger in Yana's vagina, alternating so that as one was going deeper, the other was moving shallower. After less than a minute, Yana came again, quivering powerfully and grunting twice before all the air left her lungs._

" _You want another?" Kitty asked, awkwardly shifting around on her knees. Both her hands were occupied, so she couldn't touch herself, and she was more than turned on by what they were doing._

" _D-... D-Da," Illyana managed to breathe out, somehow, only to immediately clamp her mouth shut as she felt Kitty resume her previous motions, this time faster. "Oh, Katya..." Illyana gasped, reaching back with her right hand but only able to weakly brush her fingers against Kitty's lower right leg where the brunette was kneeling behind her. "Lyublyu... tebya..." she whispered harshly._ Love you.

" _I love you too, babe," Kitty replied softly, tilting the glass toy to change the angle while bending her index finger to stroke the back wall of Illyana's vaginal canal, stimulating the thin wall of tissue separating the two objects inside the gasping blonde. "One more time, baby. Come for me."_

 _And Illyana did. Hard, moaning, her entire body clenching for two long seconds before expelling her breath in a powerful gasp, leaving her entire body quaking for several seconds._

 _Kitty slid her left middle finger out of Illyana and immediately into herself, plunging and stroking herself firmly once, twice, three times, a fourth before she herself came ferociously, crying out as her body quivered for long seconds, her back straight, her eyes tightly closed, her face turned upward as lights exploded along the inside of her eyelids and heat rushed through her trunk into each limb. She fell forward, her finger still inside herself as she landed next to Illyana, who was likewise a limp mess on the bed._

 _Both of them lay there for several seconds, gasping in ragged breaths. Finally Illyana had regained enough strength to reach back behind her and gently pull the glass dildo out of her butt, weakly dropping it on the sheet beside them._

" _You got the sheets dirty," Kitty said weakly, trying to keep her eyes open long enough to focus in on Illyana's face beside her._

 _She was rewarded by seeing those bright eyes flutter open, the blue nearly swallowed by the black of her pupils, enormous in the dark and with the recent orgasm. "Really," Illyana said, her tone thoroughly sardonic._

 _Kitty nodded, a bit manically, causing her eyes to close against her will. "Yeah. All that lube. And I'm pretty sure you dripped cum on them, too."_

 _Illyana grinned despite the tingling in her rear and the feeling of her body being utterly drained. "Okay, I'll get right on cleaning that up," she said teasingly._

 _'You do that," Kitty said, rolling over onto her back, teeth showing from her wide smile as she looked up at the ceiling and considered just how lucky she was._

 _She was in love with her best friend. She was going to MARRY her best friend. She was going to start a family with the woman she loved and cherished more than anything in the universe, the woman who would quite literally do anything to protect her and make her happy._

 _The warmth of Illyana's hand cupping Kitty's small right breast brought the brunette's attention back to the present._

" _What are you thinking, my love?" Illyana asked softly, smiling as thoughts quite similar to what her best friend was thinking flowed through her mind._

" _About how happy I am," Kitty said, her voice thick as tears began to form in her eyes. She turned to look at Illyana; the motion caused the tears in her eyes to spill to the side, running across her face and onto the bedsheets. "About how happy you make me."_

 _Illyana softly squeezed her lover's breast, being careful to not cause any discomfort; when Kitty lifted her left hand to cover Illyana's hand and press it more firmly to her chest, Illyana felt a surge of too many emotions to register pulse through the bond between them. "After we... grew apart, I never thought I would ever truly be happy again," Illyana said hoarsely. "I had accepted that, because I wanted you to find where you belonged. Where you could be yourself, where you could love and be loved and, above all else, where you could be happy."_

" _All that time, I—"_

" _Hush," Illyana said gently, squeezing Kitty's breast once for emphasis, getting a playful grin in reply. "I'm talking here."_

" _Yes, ma'am."_

" _You're still talking." Illyana smiled, then added. "You_ could _be using your mouth for something else, you know."_

" _Oooh," Kitty said, her lips pursing slightly. "I_ could _."_

" _You can in a minute," Illyana said. "I need to catch my breath first. And let my heart slow down." She smiled, shyly. "Thank you for that, by the way. It felt INCREDIBLE."_

" _Mmmmm, I agree," Kitty said happily. "You're so beautiful all the time, but watching you get swept away in your orgasms makes me all tingly." She squeezed Illyana's hand, still over her breast. "Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for trying new things with me."_

 _Illyana blinked as a tear slid out of the corner of her left eye. "Always," she whispered. "I know..." she began, only to have to close her eyes and stop before opening them again. "I know... I know I'm_ safe _with you."_

 _Kitty felt all her emotional walls break down at the heartfelt admission from her best friend. She slid to the side, being careful not to twist Illyana's arm as she wrapped the blonde in her arms, pulling her close as Illyana buried her face against Kitty's throat and cried softly, holding tightly to the lithe brunette. "I love you, Yana," she whispered against Illyana's fine hair._

The suddenness with which the memories vanished startled Emma Frost, causing her to reel for a long second as the bright LED lights of the kitchen caused momentary disorientation. She stared at Illyana, then at Kitty, unable to form words. Her mouth opened a time or two, but nothing was forthcoming.

Illyana sat there with possibly the most smug look Kitty had ever seen. And it was making her ridiculously turned on. And dangerously wet.

"Do you still think I am incapable of love, Frost?" Illyana asked coolly. "Do you still think I am a danger to my Katya?"

"Holy fuck," a soft voice said from elsewhere around the large table.

Kitty turned to see the Cuckoos all gaping in her direction. They turned their heads toward Illyana, mouths all wide open, then back to Kitty, the expression of awe on their faces nearly comical.

Celeste finally broke the synchronization when she swallowed, then focused on Kitty again. "Respect," she said to the brunette, nodding deferentially to her, then to Illyana. "Both of you."

"Yeah," Phoebe added, licking her lips. "Damn, Headmaster, Prof."

"I am so fucking glad I haven't showered yet," Mindee added. "Or put on clean panties."

"I get the shower first," Phoebe said quickly.

"It's my turn to go first today," Mindee replied sharply. "You two can suck it."

Halos of blue light briefly flickered over the three heads as they telepathically argued before fading quickly. The three young women visibly settled down once more.

"All good?" Kitty asked, curious.

"All good," the three of them said as one.

"Good," Kitty agreed, returned her attention to Illyana and Emma. "I think your ridiculous little arguments have been pretty well annihilated now, right, Emma?" Kitty asked confidently, taking her lover's hand in her own again.

Illyana lifted their clasped hands to her lips, kissing Kitty's knuckles before smiling and returning their hands to the table. She then turned to look at Emma.

"Can you see how much I am loved?" Illyana asked quietly, calmly, waiting until Emma petulantly nodded once.

After several moments, Illyana asked, "Can you see how much I love her?" Again, Illyana waited until Emma sullenly nodded again.

"I am not broken because I _choose_ not to be broken," Illyana spoke softly. "I have been wounded, terribly so, but with time and love, I continue to heal."

She fixed Emma with a firm stare. "I have always been willing to die for my people, for my friends. I have always been willing to kill for them. But now I have a reason to _live_."

She took Kitty's hand in her own again. "When I wake in the morning and see Katya's beautiful face, feel the warmth of her body, I want to make this world a better place for her. I want to become a better person, a better friend, a better lover, a better..." Illyana paused and looked longingly in to Kitty's brown eyes. "A better wife."

"You're going to be an amazing wife," Kitty said hoarsely, voice heavy with emotion. "Because you're already an amazing _person_." Still holding Illyana's hand, she reached out with her left arm and gently grasped the back of Illyana's head, sliding her fingers through her best friend's blonde hair as she looked into Illyana's blue eyes. "I'm proud to be your fiancee... and your lover... and your best friend."

Illyana's jaw trembled slightly. "You make me a better person," she whispered.

Kitty smiled back, ignoring the stinging of her eyes. "You do me too."

"I don't know about that," Illyana protested weakly.

Kitty grinned. "Oh, I do."

"You make my butt sore."

The shocked look that flew across Kitty's face was everything Illyana was hoping it would be. She immediately broke out laughing, quickly followed by the Cuckoos and then by Kitty herself, a bright blush spreading across her face.

"Well, you'll get to repay the favor tonight," Kitty said, determined not to be too embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it," Illyana said, giving her lover a sultry look before leaning in close to her ear and whispering, "And you should be looking forward to it too."

The Russian woman sat back down in her chair. She pulled the two plates of waffle and syrup back over to her and Kitty, then cast simple warming charms over both plates to reheat them. Once that was accomplished, she speared another bite of waffle with her fork, moving it to her mouth to resume eating her breakfast. After chewing and swallowing, she looked at Emma Frost once more.

"Are we done here, Emma?" she asked flatly. "Or do you have any more foolish notions for us to dispel?"

Emma slowly stood, glaring at both Illyana and Kitty but not saying a word.

"Ladies, would you mind to see Ms. Frost out?" Kitty asked, looking at the Cuckoos.

"It'd be our pleasure," said Mindee, a sharp smile on her face as she and her two sisters stood. They walked around the table to flank Emma, guiding her out of the school.

"Well, that was a fun way to start the morning," Kitty said sarcastically.

"It had its good moments," Illyana countered, waving her fork in the air in front of them. "The replay of last night, for example."

Kitty grinned. "I must admit, I'm kind of shocked you shared that with all of them."

Illyana speared a bite of Kitty's waffle, then lifted it to her lover's mouth, which opened compliantly to accept the sticky food. "Sometimes it's good to surprise them. Make them see that we can have sides that they might never expect."

"Kinky sex is a good way to do that," Kitty mumbled around the bite of food.

Illyana's smile was wicked. "Always."

They ate in pleasant silence for a few minutes before Kitty spoke again.

"Don't forget to clean up that broken mug, and the coffee you spilled."

Illyana sighed. "Do I still have to if I promise to fuck you _really_ well tonight?"

Kitty considered that for a few seconds. "Okay, I'll help."

—O—

 **Author's Afterword:** I hope the explicit scenes weren't too jarring. It's not what I normally write, but I really thought it was necessary to convey the emotional intimacy and trust Illyana and Kitty share with each other. Hopefully it fulfilled its purpose.

Thanks again for sharing another Katyana story with me. There can never be enough of these two. Thanks for reading!


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